Apparatus for the pneumatic separation of documents

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR INDIVIDUALLY SEPARATING THE UPPERMOST DOCUMENT FROM A PILE OF SUCH DOCUMENTS. THE PILE OF DOCUMENTS IS SUPPORTED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO A PERFORATED SUCTION TAPE. A SUCTION ARM ALTERNATELY MOVES BETWEEN SUCTION TAPE. A SUCTION ARM ALTERNATELY MOVES BETWEEN THE UPPERMOST DOCUMENT IN THE PILE AND THE SUCTION TAPE SO AS TO TRANSFER THE TOP DOCUMENT FROM THE PILE TO THE TAPE. IN SO DOING THE DOCUMENT IS BENT AT AN ANGLE SO AS TO AVOID THE DOUBLE REMOVAL OF DOCUMENTS. SUCTION AIR PROVIDED TO THE ARM DURING THE TRANSFER AFTER WHICH THE SUPPLY TO THE ARM IS TERMINATED TO THE ARM AND APPLIED TO THE TAPE FOR REMOVAL OF THE SEPARATED DOCUMENT.

Oct. 26, 1971 H. LOMNICKY 3,615,090

APPARATUS FOR THE PNEUMATIC SEPARATION OF DOCUMENTS Filed Nov. 8, 1968 United States Patent 3,615,090 APPARATUS FOR THE PNEUMATIC SEPARATION OF DOCUMENTS Heinz Lomnicky, Baierbrunn-Buchenhain, Germany, assignor to Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich, Germany Filed Nov. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 774,422 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 10, 1967, P 15 49 892.7 Int. Cl. B65h 3/12 US. Cl. 27126 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for individually separating the uppermost document from a pile of such documents. The pile of documents is supported at an acute angle to a perforated suction tape. A suction arm alternately moves between the uppermost document in the pile and the suction tape so as to transfer the top document from the pile to the tape. In so doing the document is bent at an angle so as to avoid the double removal of documents. Suction air is provided to the arm during the transfer after which the supply to the arm is terminated to the arm and applied to the tape for removal of the separated document.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the prior art to use pneumatic or mechanical devices for removing the uppermost document from a pile. The pneumatic devices are usually in the form of perforated tapes or rolls which are moved over the outlets of suction nozzles or levers carrying such nozzles at their ends. The particular documents which are to be separated usually determine the arrangement which is used in each case and the speed of operation which is required. However, in all cases it is important to avoid the so-called double removal, that is the simultaneous removal of two or more adjacent documents.

Depending on the specific documents being separated, a very high separation speed may be desired or a very high reliability against double removal may be needed. In the latter situation falls, for example, the processing of money orders and record entry copies and similar papers. A double removal in such cases would mean that one or more papers would not be processed at all which would result in serious consequences for the entire operation. The individual separation of letters which are to be further processed in automatic letter sorting apparatus must also be carried out with precision, since the faulty separation of letters would immediately result in a missorting.

It has been found that the requirement of high reliability against double removal cannot be sufliciently satisfied with the previously known devices. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for the pneumatic separation of individually stacked or piled documents which operates at a high rate of speed and offers a high reliability against the double removal of documents.

SUMMARY Generally speaking, the invention comprises an apparatus for individually separating a document from a pile of such documents. A perforated suction tape is positioned at an acute angle to such a pile of documents. A suction arm is provided which is movable between a first position against the top of the pile and a second position adjacent to the suction tape. With suction applied to the arm, the uppermost document is removed from the pile as the arm moves toward the suction tape, and, simultaneously, the uppermost document is bent through an acute angle to insure against double removal.

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In the preferred embodiment, the suction is alternately applied to the suction arm and the suction tape so that once the arm has delivered the uppermost document to the tape, the suction is terminated to the arm and applied to the tape to permit the tape to transfer the separated document away from the pile. The suction to the arm and the tape can either be directly controlled from the mechanism controlling the movement of the arm, or it can be controlled by a separate control device.

DRAWINGS 'Other objects, advantages and aspects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description of the drawings of a specific embodiment thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus embodying the principles of this invention; and

FIGS. 2-4 are top views of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 showing the apparatus in the rest position, the pickup position, and the transport position, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIGS. 2-4, documents 1 are held in a pile by a supporting device which includes a movable bottom plate 2, a front wall 3, and a partial cover 4. The bottom plate 2 is movable in the direction of the arrows so as to position after each cycle the uppermost document in the pile in the same relative position.

A perforated suction tape 5 is provided for transferring a separated document 1 and forwarding it to a transport tape 6. The transfer of the uppermost document from the pile is accomplished by a pivoted suction arm 7 which is mechanically driven by a cam 8. A tension spring 9 insures that the suction arm 7 is always in engagement with the surface of the cam 8. A suction chamber 10 is provided with two valves 11 and 12 which are connected to a manifold 13 which supplies the air suction. The valve 11 controls the air suction to the tape 5, while the valve 12 controls the air suction to the arm 7.

As used herein the word document is intended to mean any form of index or perforated cards, forms, papers,

letters, postal cards, and all other sorts of flat objects. The individual removal of the documents is mechanically controlled by the shape of the cam 8 and its speed of rotation, etc. When the raised portion of the cam 8 is against the suction arm 7 (as shown in FIG. 2), the suction arm 7 is at its frontmost position which is designed to be its rest position. In this operational condition, the valves 11 and 12 are both closed. The suction arm 7 is rotated in the direction of the pile of documents 1 by rotating the cam 8, as shown in FIG. 3. In this position, where the cam 8 reaches its lowest position, the arm 7 rests against the uppermost document 1. In this state of operation, the valve 12 is opened, thereby sucking the uppermost document against the arm 7. As seen in FIG. 1, the suction arm 7 preferably is constructed in two sections which straddle the perforated suction tape 5.

In the preferred embodiment, the valve 12 is magnetically controlled so as to operate at the proper time, Le, a solenoid operated valve. It is to be understood that the particular mechanism for controlling the valve 12, as well as the valve 11, can take many forms. For example, the valves could be controlled by switches which are opened and closed directly by the cam 7, the switches in turn being electrically connected to the valves 11 and 12. Alternately, a separate cam could be provided which controls a pair of switches each of which then controls its respective valve 11 or 12. Various other forms of control mechanisms could be used to provide the timely opening and closing of the valves 11 and 12.

Referring to FIG. 3, the arm 7 is positioned against the uppermost document 1 and the suction air is applied by opening the valve 12. As the cam 8 continues to rotate the arm 7 is pivoted away from the pile of documents and back toward the perforated suction tape 5. As this occurs, the uppermost document 1 is bent over the edge of the cover 4 (see FIG. 4) to positively separate the uppermost document from the second document.

As the suction arm 7 reaches the position shown in FIG. 4, at which time the document is urged against the perforated suction tape 5, valve 12 is closed and valve 11 is opened. This cuts off the air suction to the arm 7, and applies air suction to the perforated tape 5. Thus, as the tape 5 advances in the direction of the arrows shown in FIGS. 2-4, the document which has been thusly separated is transferred to the transport tape 6. In the unlikely event that a second document is carried with the first document as it is moved toward the perforated suction tape 5, the second document is precluded from advancing toward the transport tape 6 by reason of the front wall 3 of the support. Therefore, the second document will return to its position on the pile for pickup on the next cycle of operation.

This invention is much preferred to the previously known arrangements where the pile of documents was located in a plane which was parallel to the suction tape. By bending the documents against the cover 4 of the support through the movement of the suction arm 7 through an acute angle, adhering documents are thereby peeled off. Even if a double removal occurs from the pile, the secondmost document is held back by the front wall 3 f the support. This apparatus according to the invention can be operated vertically as well as horizontally.

Further advantages of the instant invention reside in the mechanical control means for the synchronous operation of the suction arm. The control means can take several forms, as described above, and provides for the reliable individual separation of the uppermost document from a pile of such documents. Operation of the apparatus is further enhanced by the fact that the bottom plate 2 continues to move the uppermost document of the ever-diminishing pile to substantially the same position for pickup by the suction arm 7. Thus, the distance which the individual documents must move to reach the suction tape is essentially the same for each cycle of operation. In contrast, in the previously known pneumatic individual separation systems which operate with a suction lever, the lifting off of the uppermost document takes place as soon as the suction nozzle is completely covered with the document. Thus, as the pile diminishes, the individual documents are transported varying distances to the suction tape. The disadvantage of this type of system is completely avoided by the instant invention.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment and features described and shown, but it comprises any modifications and equivalents within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for individually separating the uppermost document from a pile of documents, which comprises:

a longitudinally movable perforated suction tape positioned at an acute angle to the surface of the uppermost document of the pile of documents, said acute angle opening in the direction of travel of said suction tape;

a suction arm movable between a first position against the top of the pile and a second position adjacent the suction tape so as to separate the uppermost document from the remained of the pile 'by lifting said uppermost document causing it to bend about a single axis therein through an acute angle and to transfer it prior to any longitudinal motion by said document; and

4 means for moving said suction arm between said first and second positions. 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said suction arm is pivotally mounted, and wherein said moving 5 means comprises a cam for moving said suction arm 'back and forth.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, which further comprises:

a chamber having a supply of air suction; and a pair of valves, one connecting the chamber with the perforated suction tape and the other connecting the chamber with the suction arm. 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, which further comprises:

means for controlling said valves to apply air suction to the suction arm in its first position, against the pile, until it transfers a document to the suction tape and for then applying the suction to the suction tape and removing it from the suction arm. 5. Apparatus for individually separating a document from a pile of such documents, which comprises:

a longitudinally movable perforated suction tape having a supply of air suction;

means for supporting the pile of documents so that the uppermost surface of the uppermost document of said pile is at an acute angle to the suction tape, said acute angle opening in the direction of travel of said suction tape;

a suction arm having a supply of air suction, said arm being movable against the pile of documents and into engagement with the uppermost surface of the uppermost document;

said arm then being movable to a position adjacent the suction tape to separate the uppermost document from the pile by lifting it and bending it about a single axis therein through said acute angle;

means for applying air suction to the arm while the arm engages the uppermost document of the pile and bends it toward the suction tape, and for then applying air suction to the tape while removing the air suction from the arm to clear the arm of the document; and

means for moving said suction arm back and forth between the pile of documents and the suction tape to repeatedly transfer the uppermost document from the pile to the suction tape.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said suction arm moving means controls the application of suction air to the tape and the arm.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said document supporting means includes a cover which partially encloses the documents, said documents being engaged by the suction arm in the open portion and bent around the edge of said cover during separation by said suction arm.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said docu ment supporting means further includes a front wall for blocking the double removal of documents by said suction tape in the event two documents are separated together by said suction arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,010,586 8/1935 Ehlig 271-37 2,698,175 12/1954 Rowell 27126 3,079,149 2/1963 Childs 271-27 OTHER REFERENCES IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. *6, No. 2, 1963, pp. 32 and 33. Article entitled Document Feeder and Separator by T. H. Anderson and J. C. Baker.

JOSEPH WEGBREIT, Primary Examiner 

